The “hei” concept, one of the most well-known brands in the Rompetrol portfolio, is celebrating 20 years on the Romanian market, a period in which it has evolved and focused on developing the customer experience inside Rompetrol gas stations.
These days, “hei” has around 230 locations in Romania and the region, stores with a wide variety of products and dedicated areas where specialty coffee-based drinks and fresh dishes are served, the recipes being designed with the help of hospitality specialists.
Launched in 2005, it was the first Romanian brand dedicated to the store activity in a gas station, and it has grown steadily in line with Rompetrol customers' expectations, trends, and technical solutions, being extended to the regional level (Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia).
“The 'hei' story reflects the passion and commitment of Rompetrol's specialists, the desire to create and offer customers unique experiences, from local and international dishes, made with natural ingredients from certified and traceable local producers, fresh products made in-station, and a range of beverages based on coffee of origin. On our 20th anniversary, we promise to continue to develop the “hei” brand and to surprise our customers with innovations, both by expanding our presence at national and regional level and by diversifying the range of products and services offered”, said Vlad Rusnac, Chief Marketing & Retail Officer KMG International.
A major step for the development of “hei” was achieved last year, when the current Rompetrol franchise was expanded from one exclusively on the fuel side to a complete franchise, which also includes the use of “hei” identity elements.
2023 was a milestone year for the brand's consolidation, when for the first time on the local market, twelve service centers were opened around the Rompetrol gas stations on the A1 highway, on the Nadlac-Sibiu section. They integrate the fueling/adblue part, fast-charging stations for electric cars, parking, and rest areas, and a spacious interior with triple the average surface area of other Rompetrol stations.
Thus, “hei” became an umbrella brand that united three different service lines: “hei&gourmet” dedicated to restaurant-style assisted service, “hei&go” for consumer products, such as drinks, sweets, snacks, and “hei&coffee” for coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. These stations were the first in Romania where people could enjoy a hot meal.
The first “hei” stores were inaugurated in 2005, in Romania, during a period in which the company launched several projects that revitalized the local fuel market, including the efix brand - under which fuels produced in the Petromidia refinery are still sold today, the Fill&Go cards - which allow payment directly at the pump, and the “hei” concept.
In 2007, the “hei” concept had already been implemented at 70 gas stations nationwide. The evolution continued, and in 2013 Rompetrol started a comprehensive rebranding process. It focused on updating the company's visual identity and creating a modern ambient with new architecture and a reorganization of the interior space in the gas stations.
At the end of 2019, the company developed a new concept of Rompetrol gas stations, implemented in 2020, characterized by bringing external design elements in line with modern trends and optimizing production areas for gastro products. Then, in 2023, Rompetrol presented for the first time in Romania a new concept of service areas on highways, integrating the fueling/adblue part, the fast-charging stations for electric cars, the parking and rest areas, and a spacious interior with triple the average surface area of other Rompetrol stations.
Inside, the concept combines “hei coffee & gourmet”: dedicated areas for store, restaurant, café, with children's playground, spaces for mothers with babies, and facilities for disabled people. These gas stations were the first in Romania where you could enjoy a hot meal with fresh food made with natural ingredients purchased from local Romanian producers.
Originally designed and developed in Romania, “hei” was subsequently expanded regionally with the first store opened in the Republic of Moldova in early 2024 and the first “hei” opened in Georgia in February this year. Currently, 7 Rompetrol Moldova gas stations have “hei” facilities included, and in Georgia, the target is to open a total of 30 “hei” stores by the end of 2029.
At the end of last year, Rompetrol's distribution segment in Romania consisted of 1,342 points of sale, including its own stations, Partener Rompetrol, as well as mobile stations, namely Rompetrol Express and internal bases (9 and 20 cubic meter tanks located on the premises of companies from various fields of activity: transport, construction, agriculture, etc.).
These points sell fuel produced by Petromidia, the country's largest refinery and one of the most important in the region.
Corporate Communication and Public Relations
KMG International